Life-saving net



Sept. 10, 1929. J. w. RENO- LIFE SAVING NET Filed Feb. 12, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. l0, 1929. J, w. RENO 1,727,902

LIFE SAVING NET Filed Feb. 12, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR MW ATTORNEYS Sept. 10, 1929. J. w. RENO 1,727,902

LIFE SAVING NET Filed Feb. l2, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Sep't. l0, 1929.

PATENT OFFICE.'

JESSE w. anno, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

LIFE-SA'VIN G NET.

Application filed February 12, 1929. Serial No. 339,290.

This invention relates to a buoyant life saving net which is suitable to be carried on ships at sea and thrown into the sea in case of necessity.

The life saving devicesusually carried by fships are life boats, rafts, and individual life preservers. The life boats and rafts are usually extremely hea-Vy and unwieldy. The

.rafts cannot easily be launched, and it is extremely difficult to launch a life boat when a heavy sea is running. The individual life preservers permit the persons wearing them to float as isolated individuals, and undoubtedly many persons who have been kept afloat by the life preservers and who have not succumbed, have been lost because they, as individuals, could not be located amid the high waves. Patents have been granted on life rafts intended to accommodate a number of persons, but these rafts are unsatisfactory and have not een adopted as standard equip- Ament, because they are heavy and unwieldy and cannot be stored in acompact space aboard the ship. Furthermore, the rafts are stiff and inflexible, and are quite likely to injure a,

person who is in them.

The life net disclosed in the present apnli cation overcomes the disadvantages of the life rafts in that it is made of extremely light, buoyant material, so 'that a large net capable of accommodating a number of persons may f easily be thrown overboard by a single person. The life net is composed of a number of individual floats which are joined by flexible connections, so that the net may easily be folded into a compact space for storage aboard the ship, .and when the persons are in the net in a rough sea, the lightness of the floats prevents the persons from being injured if the floats are thrown against themby the sea, and the flexibility of the connections permits the floats to yield so that 'injury is prevented; By the use of the life net disclosed herein a. number of persons will be in a single group, thereby rendering it much easier for them to be seen from the rescuing vessel and also enabling the weaker persons to be assisted by the strong ones.

These and other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear in the follthe sections of rope 2, which join the lowing description and the accompanying drawings, and will be particularly pointed out in the claims. 4

The drawings illustrate lin perspective, sec7 tion, and detail a preferred form of construction of the life net and embody the broad principles of the invention; 1'

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of the life net as it appears in the water.

Fig. 2 is a detail of the connections between the individual floats. Fig. 8 shows the net of Fig. 1 in closed position ready to be folded.

Fig." 4 shows the net of Fig. 3 in partially folded position.

Fig. 5 shows the net of Fig. 3 in fully folded condition ready for stowing.

Fig. 6 is a section through one of the floats showing the manner of constructing the net.

Fig. 7 is a smaller net in open position.

Fig. 8 shows the net of Fig. 7 in closed position' ready to be folded.

Fig. 9 shows the net of Fig. 8 in partially folded position.

Fig. 10 shows the net of Fig. 8 in completely lfolded position ready for stowing.

Fig. 11 shows an individual life preserver having the construction of the larger nets shown in Figs. 1 and 7.

Fig. 12 shows the individual life preserver of Fig. 11, in folded position.

As illustrated herein, the life net is composed of a series of individual floats l joined by flexible connections 2. The floats may be made of any extremely light material, but are preferably made of Balsa wood, whichis quite cheap and which is one of the most buoyant materials available in commercial quantities, as it floats with approximately four-fifths ofits bulk out of the water. The floats are joined by the connections 2, which may conveniently be made of rope and which are of such a length that when the net is folded the individual floats may lie side by side so that the net can be folded in a compact space. The floats are. approximately fourl v inches s uare and twenty-six inches longl, and oats,

should be at least four inches long'so that against them, because the light weight of the floats will prevent injury, and also the fact that the connections between the floats are flexible, permits theI floats 'to yield if they should be thrown against al person, whereas if the floats were made vof heavier material and were rigidly connected, or were made of a single stick of woodrunning across the entire net, a person in the net would be injured lin `a rough sea.'

A towing .spar 3 is preferably provided for each net and is adapted to be removably connected to the-` net by any suitable means,

such as snap fasteners 4. Lines 5 running from the towing spar may be used to connect the net to a life boat, yor another life net, if desired. The floats are maintained in their correct positions by fastening together the ropes or other connecting means 2, by any suitable devices, such as light metallic juncture plates 6, which may be made of rustproof metal, as shown in Fig. 2, or the ropes may be twisted together, as is shown in Fig. 6, or

tied together, as is shown in Fig. 8. The connecting means 2 may be joined to i the floats in anysuitable manner. A simple constructionis shown in Fig. 6, in which the oats are composed of two sections of wood 7 and 8. Each section is grooved to form onehalf of a round hole extending longitudinally throughthe float, and the connecting means, shown in Fig. 6 as a rope, is laid in the groove of one section,'after which the other section'is put in position, and the two sections are firmly joined by screws 9. This construction enables any float to be removed and replaced very easily without taking the entirek net apart, and in contradistinction to those rafts `or nets which are formed of buoyant sections strung on a rope so that the rope must either be cut or the entire net taken apart to remove or replace any interior float.

From the above description of the life net and its construction, taken in conjunction with Figs. 3, 4 and 5, it will be easily understood how the net may be folded for stowing. The net is spread on the deck .in the position shown in Fig. 1, and the towing spar is removed. The opposite corners f the net are then stretched so that the floats come into the position shown in Fig. 3. The rows of adjacent floats are then folded in layers, as is shownin Fig. 4, with the two rows 10 and 11, which contain `the largest number of floats, on the bottom. The net is then folded so that the rows 10 and 11 lie next to each other, in which case the entire net will be folded into a space approximately 3% x 3% x 2 ft., and will form a package weighing approximately one hundred pounds if the floats are made of Balsa wood with rope connections. After the net is entirely folded, a light, but strong, band 12 is put around the package in such a way that it can easily be removed. The ends 13 of the band may conveniently overlapand be cemented to'- gether with water-soluble cement. The juncture should be protected, for instance, by an easily removable waterproof covering 14, Such as waterproof paper, so that the ends ofthe band do not separate when the package is;

exposed to vwater on shipboard. Before the net is thrown overboard the Iwaterproof covering may easily be torn off and the net thrown over as a single bundle. The water of the sea will then loosen the'cement connecting the ends of the bands 13 and the net will spread into the position shown in Fig. 1.

In Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 there is shown a small net intended'for use by four persons. The net has four spaces, and the construction yis like that heretofore described in connection with the larger net shown in Fig. 1. The net shown in Fig. 7 has a spread dimension of approximatelyv 5 ft., but when completely folded, as is shown in Fig. 10, it makes a compact bundle of only 16 x 16 x 26 inches.

In Figs. 11 and 12 an individual life preserver is shown. The construction of this life preserver is similar to the construction of the life nets. When folded, as is shown in Fig. 12, the space occupied by this life reserver is approximately 8 x 8 x 26 inc es, yet its buoyancy, if made of Balsa wood,is sufficient to support a person in the water. rThis size life preserver 1s especially adapted for use in small pleasure boats, where it is extremely desirable to'conserve space.

The life nets disclosed herein are extremely.

practical. The cost is quite low, and they are very easy to make and repair. When opened up, the large size net, shown in Fig. 1, will accommodate twenty-five persons and will spread over an area of approximately 12 ft. square, yet for stowing it can be folded into a bundle approximately 3% x 31/2 x 2 ft., and is so light that one seaman may throw it overboard. Several of the large size life nets may be stowed in a life boat of the usual size and the necessary towing spars may be laid on the seats. All that is necessary, in order to prepare the life net for use, is to cut the band 12, or tear off the waterproof protecting material 14 from the ends 13 ofthe band, and throw the net overboard as a bundle. Immediately uponistriking the water, the net will i spread if the band 12 has been cut, or it will spread shortly after striking the water, if the ends 13 of the band are held together by the water-soluble cement. shown in- Fig. 1, is in its spread condition it will accommodate twenty-five persons who When the net, as "v will be together in a group and will be able to render to one another such assistance as may be necessary.

Although a particular and preferred form of the invention has been described, it is recognized that modifications may be made and it is distinctly to be understood that the invention is to be construed as broadly as the claims, taken in conjunction with the prior 1o art, may allow.

I claim:

1. A buoyant life net comprising a series of individual floats capable of arrangement in spaced relation to form between them a series of spaces to receive persons, the floats on all sides of the spaces being joined by flexible connections which permit the net to be folded .With the floats in side by side relation.

2o 2. A buoyant life net comprising a series of individual elongated floats capable of arrangement in spaced relation to form between them a series of spaces to receive persons, the floats being joined at their ends by flexible connections Whichpermit the net to be folded With the floats in side by side relation with their long sides in contact.

3. A buoyant life preserver comprising a series of individual elongated floats, joined at their ends by flexible connections which permit the floats to be packed in side by side relation with. their long sides in contact.

4. A buoyant life preserver comprisin a series of individual elongated floats, j cine at their ends by flexible connections longer than the thickness of a float, to permit the floats to be packed in side by side relation with their long sides in contact.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I

have hereunto set my'hand this 8th day` of February, 1929. l

JESSE W. RENO. 

